A、Quality is an important part of the price of cosmetic products. B、Quality is not a key factor for the price of cosmetic produc

Financially speaking, makeup can be a burden. By one estimate, a woman in the US will spend an average of $15,000 on makeup in her lifetime. The fact is that the ingredients in these products often account for no more than 15％ of the cost, according to Randy Schueller, a cosmetic chemist who has been in the beauty business for more than 30 years.
    What people are mainly paying for is marketing, packaging, and brands. That’s why lipstick, for example, which is mostly wax, oil, and pigments, routinely costs more than $20 a tube at a department store makeup counter.
    Schueller says that, because ingredients are such a small share of the cost, "price does not really relate to quality when it comes to cosmetic products."
    In fact, packaging has become such a focus in the industry that there are actually awards given out for it.
    Where the makeup is sold matters, too. It’s a form of marketing in itself, which is evident when you consider the difference between upscale brands carried at retailers such as Sephora and Ulta and mass-market brands sold at drugstores.
    Karen Grant, the global beauty industry analyst at research firm NPD, says they’re two different models, and consumers pay for that difference. At higher-end stores, you "pay for the display areas and the people who are helping to sell the product, whereas in a mass environment it can be sealed up behind a package and sit on a shelf," she says. High-end shops also often make tester items available, and may accept returns even on used items. It simply costs a retailer more to be profitable in that environment, and those costs are factored into the price tags on the products.
    There’s evidence that consumers are buying into famous brands at increasing rates. Sales in the global cosmetics market are rising to $56.9 billion last year, according to Euromonitor and are expected to keep growing. But it’s not because the price of makeup is getting more expensive. In fact, it hasn’t.
    What should a consumer do? Know what you’re looking for. If you want a lipstick that will last, then go with one designed for that. But don’t assume that more expensive means better. More than anything else, what the price of makeup simply reflects is the price that you’re willing to pay for it.
    20. What do we learn about Randy Schueller according to the speaker?
    21. What is Randy Schueller’s conclusion about ingredients as a small share of the cost?
    22. What is the evidence of more and more consumers buying into famous brands?